PARADIP: Placing the body of a worker who died after a truck hit him, the contractual workers of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperatives (IFFCO) have been staging a dharna since Wednesday demanding compensation to his family.
The deceased, 50-year-old Kailash Behera from Marsaghai of Kendrapara district, worked as a contractual worker at IFFCO railway siding. Behera died on Wednesday after being hit by a truck owned by Paradip Paribahan Private Limited. Following his death, irate contractual workers, placing Swain’s body on the road, staged stir on the Cuttack-Paradip State Highway demanding compensation for the deceased’s kin.
After police intervention, the protestors left the highway and sat near the IFFCO railway siding.
Meanwhile, Swain’s neice Niramala Behera alleged her uncle could have been saved if the transporting agency had taken responsibility of his treatment. “My uncle died due to gross negligence on part of the administration and the transporting agency. We demand compensation and employment opportunity for the loss,” she added.
A contractual worker Niranjan Palei meanwhile alleged that despite the agitation, the transport agency has not reached the spot to hold a discussion on the matter. A senior official of IFFCO said the company transports around 200-300 metric tonne of fertilisers to other states on everyday basis but the ongoing stir has badly hit both loading and transportation of fertilisers since the last two days.
“We are awaiting the administration’s decision regarding the incident and the workers’ demands. However, production of fertilisers is unaffected as the dharna has been staged at the IFFCO railway siding,” he added. Contacted, additional superintendent of police, Paradip, Nimain Charan Sethi said police forces have been deployed at the spot to prevent any untoward incident. “Discussion between the workers and administration is underway but no decision regarding the issue has yet been taken,” Swain added.